It seems the inconsiderate bastards that they are have decided to self destruct to the point where he needs bilateral knee replacements. The kicker is that although the knees are worn out, doctor doesn’t want to do surgery yet because “he is too young” (hubby not doctor)
I went with him to the ortho doctor’s office today to hear him get the news. He has had knee pain for a couple of years but it has been much worse for the last few months and not controlled with motrin, naprosyn, Bextra or lidoderm patches . Several weeks ago, he tore more cartilage just getting up from the chair.
So today the doctor told him that knee replacements were inevitable but that he wanted to put the surgery off as long as possible cause they only last 15-20 years tops. In the meantime he is going to try steroid injections, synthetic cartilage injections and possibly a new cartilage replacement that he would require more training to do as there are few surgeons currently trained because it is a fairly new procedure. (It is a type of prothesis that is inserted between the bones to support them instead of having the bone edges rub against each other as they are now.) Also he is going to be fitted for a special knee brace that will cost nearly a grand.
After looking at the x-ray films, which show bone sitting on bone with only a little cartilage left on the outer edge of the joint, he was presented with his options and decided to try the steroid injections.
He has many many times talked about how horrifying the thought was of having his knee injected and there he was agreeing to have it done. First one went ok, but after the second one he just went white as a sheet, broke out in a sweat and nearly passed out. His blood pressure bottomed out and he had to stay there for a bit until he looked less woozy.
I drove him home, gave him a pain pill and put him in bed with ice on his knees and a stern command to stay in the bed. He is still sleeping.
Oh, Mermaid, I sympathize. Ivylad is recovering from spinal fusion surgery from an injury he had in Oct 2000…three vertebrae fused at the ripe old age of 38. He can’t even lift the toilet seat up to pee…I have to make sure I leave it up when I’m done. He’s on the heavy duty drugs, too, Oxycotin and Oxycodone and Zanaflex. They’re like candy to him now.
We tried the steriod injections too, and they didn’t work. Surgery may be Merman’s only option, and although they may last only 15-20 years, who knows what medical breakthroughs they come up with during that time.
That’s too bad Mermaid, I have, and know several other men with teh same problem. One did the knee replacement anyway and he’s 38. Knee pain is no fun.
Oh, Mermaid. . .I’m sorry to hear that about your husband (can we call him Merman? )
My MIL had both knees replaced in her mid '50s as they were so badly shot she couldn’t stand up straight getting out of a chair. The replacements went well and she’s now more active than ever. My mother is also coping with two arthritic knees (among other joints), so I can understand how your fella’s feeling.
Take good care and tell him that I hope he feels better.
Mermaid, I have similar knee problems. IANAD, but here is what my ortho told me…the steroid shots are of course temporary…the Synvisc shots have dubious benefits (he told me about a study comparing Synvisc injections to just draining the knee fluid…they had similar results…and the Synvisc injections are REALLY expensive).
The cartilage replacement techniques are VERY new and VERY iffy…my ortho wouldn’t do it for me…I would have to go to Chicago.
I am too young for a TKR (total knee replacement) . Also, the state of the art for TKRs is improving…so my ortho thinks they will last longer as better plastics get developed.
Last summer I had a high tibial osteotomy…which essentially realigns the weight load of the knee away from the medial compartment. June 12th I get the hardware out.
If you want more info…respond here or email me. This is a topic I know quite a bit about.
The good news is that the knee IS re aligned, saving some of the cartilage tear. The bad news is that the surgery is a bitch. Put it this way…the recovery time and pain for a TKR is much less than for the osteotomy.
One of the first procedures I witnessed was a tomogram on a guy who had had a knee replacement. First of all, I was impressed by the amount of hardware in the leg. My second impression was how happy about it he seemed. We talked about it for a while, and he said he wished he had had it done two years ago. He said he went from limping, to walking with a cane, to walking with crutches…in pain all the time. Afterward, (after he healed), he said there was no pain at all–for first time in many years.
I’m not advocating that your husband has surgery. I’m just saying that, if/when he does, I hope he has the same kind of positive results.
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